Articles by: Gil Smart
By Peter Girard Florida’s water management system is broken. Water management districts are political and dysfunctional. Private interests routinely hoard freshwater, pass flood risks to residential communities, and dump pollution into public waterways. Led by the biggest and most powerful…
Hundreds of captains and guides are headed to Tallahassee on April 11th to tell their stories to lawmakers. You should, too. Now Or Neverglades Sportfishing Day will unite people who depend on healthy fisheries for their livelihoods–fishermen, boat builders, outfitters… but…
In a fight as bitter as Florida’s struggle for clean water, virtually no one can manage to face the opposition with civility and a constructive outlook, much less a smile. If you haven’t met Maggy Hurchalla, you should–even if she’s…
Political cartoonists know they’re on the mark when their targets blow up. Herblock drove Nixon crazy. Thomas Nast did the same to Boss Tweed. Garry Trudeau enraged tobacco companies. Here in Florida, Andy Marlette infuriates Big Sugar. His work is…
SB10 made it over its next hurdle in the Senate this week, although not without a few surprises. Sen. Bradley opened by reiterating the inexcusable conditions that coastal communities experienced as a result of toxic discharges. He noted that a…
Several prominent Florida politicians have suggested that storing more water in Lake Okeechobee is the key to fixing our water management problems. But without an emergency spillway–as Californians learned last month–a bigger dike is only a bigger threat to the…
Across Florida the heroes are stepping up. This week more lawmakers from all around Florida and both sides of the aisle joined in support of Sen. Pres. Joe Negron and SB10/HB761 to fix our broken plumbing for good. In Ft. Myers, Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen,…
Four in favor, one against. Last week Martin County Commissioners voted 4-1 to draft a resolution in support of Sen. Pres. Joe Negron’s SB 10. (Only Comm. Doug Smith voted no.) It was a show of support and gratitude for Negron’s courage,…
Has Sunshine State News contributor J.P. Sasser lost his mind?! “Out of this 40% unemployment, my argument is how much of that 40% is actually employable. How much of that 40% would get up and go to work every morning if there…
February 7th’s senate hearing in Tallahassee was a win for the Everglades and our estuaries. Senate Bill 10, calling for the expedited planning and completion of a southern reservoir, took a step in the right direction with unanimous approval from the…